5 reasons you need a real estate agent to sell your home
Johanna is one of the co-CEOs of OpenAgent. She has over 8 years of experience in the real estate industry through her work at OpenAgent and holds a class 2 real estate license in NSW. Previously, Johanna worked at hipages.com.au, Australia's largest trade marketplace, where she built her experience understanding renovations and home improvements for 7+ years.
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Selling a home is often fraught with stress and the potential for the unexpected. While some people make the decision to go it alone when selling their home, that is not always the best course of action.
Yes, homeowners can save on the cost of real estate agent's commissions and fees, but negotiating your way through the complex property market without expert advice and guidance could be a recipe for disaster.
By enlisting the services of a real estate agent that best suits your requirements, you could save yourself both time and money. There are many reasons why you should seriously consider turning to the right agent for help, and here are just 5 of them.
Agents can save you time
If you are trying to juggle a family life, a job and the selling of your home, it could be very easy to lose focus. A real estate agent will save you time and allow you to concentrate on your daily responsibilities by acting as a liaison between you, other agents and potential buyers.
So, you can attend to your own affairs while your agent ensures your house is marketed effectively, arranges viewings, looks for potential buyers and coordinates the entire process of selling your property.
Agents can achieve the maximum exposure for your property
Real estate agents in Australia usually have access to huge numbers of potential buyers through their databases, and they can recommend your property where appropriate. Agents also have significant marketing expertise, and that can get your property seen by as many people as possible.
Increasing your home's exposure in this way can ensure you sell it as quickly as possible, and it will also mean you have a great chance of achieving - or even exceeding - your desired sale price.
Agents can take charge of the negotiation process
Knowledge truly is power during negotiations for a property sale, and achieving the best price possible will require a detailed knowledge of the current market, the local area and the particular features of the property. Getting the best outcome also requires experience and confidence in your negotiation skills.
Given that most of us only sell once every 10 years, we are much better off with a negotiation expert working for us. Armed with critical local market information and negotiation skills, the right real estate agents will be able to broker a price that reflects your property's true value.
For example, a particularly experienced real estate agent will be able to drive the sale price up through the cultivation of competition between different potential buyers.
An agent will guide you through the legal jargon
The purchase of a home is a complex legal process, and it can be somewhat confusing to someone with no knowledge or experience of property law in Australia.
However, a reputable real estate agent will be able to guide you, having done many transactions themselves, as well as call upon expert legal advice, ensuring your interests are protected and that you don’t fall foul of the law.
Real estate agents are motivated to sell your home
Most agents will not make any money until a sale has been completed, so it stands to reason that they will do everything possible to find a buyer as quickly as possible. An agent will therefore help you to present your home in a way that is attractive to potential buyers.
From making slight home improvements to recommending a few tried-and-tested tricks of the trade, your agent will assist you in making your home as welcoming and inviting as it possibly can be.
Need help finding out who are the top sellers and will get you the best sale price in your area? Instead of hit-and-miss strategies such as responding to letterbox drops or calling a local office, why not make a decision based on sales performance and customer reviews of local real estate agents in your area?
Use our search tool to create a short-list of agents to interview. It is fast, free, and comes with no obligations.
Selling a home is one of life's most stressful experiences, but we are trying to make it a little less so!
